Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

Good morning fellow Gin Lovers :smile:

I just thought I'd follow up, with my attempt to make a Gin, only using a pot still.
I'm sure there are a few of us, who only has a pot still, and probably some wondering, like I did, is it even possible to make something decent, not a brown spirit.

I started off with 2x 23L Fast Fermenting Vodka wash, which I let sit for a fortnight. (Followed that recipe to a T)
Clear, without taking any of the yeast, I siphoned the lot into my 50L keg.
Discarding 300ml of fores here, and then taking the runnings down to 20-ish % abv.
This I then diluted to 35% and redestilled the product, getting 10 or so litres of 70%abv distillate (discarded another 150ml as fores here).

To this, I doubled the ingredients as per this thread, ground it up in a mortar and pestle.
I then let those ingredients steep for 24 hours in the distillate.
After that, I ran the whole lot, spices and all, through the still a last time. Here I discarded the first 1000ml, then collected everything until I hit about 65%abv, when I detected tails.
(I'm sure some wonder why I discarded that much, I just wanted to be closer to the hearts cut, but also knew that some flavours present them selves more from the higher abv level, and I don't like hangovers ;) )

This, for me, yields about 6 litres of finished gin, at 40%abv
The flavour is SOO good, while fresh in my mind, I've written down the changes I wanted to make for the next batch.

Thanks for sharing your recipe Blonde Chap :music-deathmetal:

the Doctor wrote:Can recommend Austral Herbs for botanicals they are just up the road from us in Kentucky and supply all our botanicals. They are online and have everything except grains of paradise. Top supplier.
Doc

:text-+1:

seehuusen wrote:Good morning fellow Gin Lovers :smile:

I just thought I'd follow up, with my attempt to make a Gin, only using a pot still.
I'm sure there are a few of us, who only has a pot still, and probably some wondering, like I did, is it even possible to make something decent, not a brown spirit.

I started off with 2x 23L Fast Fermenting Vodka wash, which I let sit for a fortnight. (Followed that recipe to a T)
Clear, without taking any of the yeast, I siphoned the lot into my 50L keg.
Discarding 300ml of fores here, and then taking the runnings down to 20-ish % abv.
This I then diluted to 35% and redestilled the product, getting 10 or so litres of 70%abv distillate (discarded another 150ml as fores here).

To this, I doubled the ingredients as per this thread, ground it up in a mortar and pestle.
I then let those ingredients steep for 24 hours in the distillate.
After that, I ran the whole lot, spices and all, through the still a last time. Here I discarded the first 1000ml, then collected everything until I hit about 65%abv, when I detected tails.
(I'm sure some wonder why I discarded that much, I just wanted to be closer to the hearts cut, but also knew that some flavours present them selves more from the higher abv level, and I don't like hangovers ;) )

This, for me, yields about 6 litres of finished gin, at 40%abv
The flavour is SOO good, while fresh in my mind, I've written down the changes I wanted to make for the next batch.

Thanks for sharing your recipe Blonde Chap :music-deathmetal:

How did you get 10l @70% from 2x 25l washs. Or did you strip more would have thought you would need more like 5x 25l wash. Also if you discard first litre on third run wouldnt you lose most of the flavour? I would have thought tight cuts on 2nd run and no cuts on third.
:think:

Yeah, pot stilling maybe strip, run again & cut, run once more & cut to get (potstilled) hearts of hearts, run again with botanicals. And don't discard the first litre just because, do proper cuts. If running hearts of hearts should be good nearly from the start.

P.S flavour is stronger straight away, will subtly change over the first few weeks.

Going to run this gin for the first time in the next few weeks.

Just chasing a little advice, I've had a quick read over the thread and found differing opinions on how to run this. Which is understandable.

Being the first time and the fact I like to take things slowly and throw a little science behind it hopefully to be able to do successful follow up runs.

I'm planning on using the botanical bill from blond chaps gin as is.

Botanicals
40-60g dried juniper berries depending on preference for lighter to heavier styles
4 almonds
3-5 strips of orange peel
3-5 strips of lemon peel
2 strips lime peel
3/4 teaspoon full of angelica root
3/4 teaspoon full of Orris root
1/2 star anise
1/2 teaspoon full of ground coriander
Cassia bark 1/2 a scroll or 1 teaspoon cinamon powder
3/4 teaspoon full of ground ginger
3 black pepper corns
1/4 teaspoon dill tips
3 whole cloves
6 grains of paradise

I'm going to be using a carterhead on my 50L boiler with 4" column. Starting with 3L of 90ish% kale neutral hearts diluted down to 17%. Which will give me around 16L in my boiler covering my elements and allowing a safety margin once the alc is boiled off. I'm using 3L as a basis of learning and I will use up to 2 baskets of botanicals depending on how the flavour comes through.

Now is it preferable to run the still in a pot still configuration (no plates in) which will give me a vapour abv of around 77-80% once it hits the botanicals in the carter head.
Or should I run it as a 4-5 plater with a little reflux which will increase the vapour abv to around 90-92% once it hits the botanicals?

Will the higher abv help pull more flavour out of the botanicals but at the same time will this higher abv also lose flavour once diluted down to 40-45% drinking strength?

This is all something I will find out once up and running but I'd like to get other peoples opinions on what they think?

Cheers.

bluc wrote:How did you get 10l @70% from 2x 25l washs.

well spotted, sorry for the typo. 10L of lows, total after the triple distillation, was 4L @ 70%.

nuddy wrote:Going to run this gin for the first time in the next few weeks.


Now is it preferable to run the still in a pot still configuration (no plates in) which will give me a vapour abv of around 77-80% once it hits the botanicals in the carter head.
Or should I run it as a 4-5 plater with a little reflux which will increase the vapour abv to around 90-92% once it hits the botanicals?

Will the higher abv help pull more flavour out of the botanicals but at the same time will this higher abv also lose flavour once diluted down to 40-45% drinking strength?

This is all something I will find out once up and running but I'd like to get other peoples opinions on what they think?

Cheers.

I'd either run higher ABV in the boiler or run plates, (assuming you've got the power to run through plates and the carter head) the tails will smear and leave a not so fantastic taste in the ass end of your run.

well, thats what happened to us.

Also, if you chuck that much at the start of the run, you're liable to change the flavour profile as different botanicals express at different times in the run,
>did you not throw heads on your strip run?

Darwin award wrote:

nuddy wrote:Going to run this gin for the first time in the next few weeks.


Now is it preferable to run the still in a pot still configuration (no plates in) which will give me a vapour abv of around 77-80% once it hits the botanicals in the carter head.
Or should I run it as a 4-5 plater with a little reflux which will increase the vapour abv to around 90-92% once it hits the botanicals?

Will the higher abv help pull more flavour out of the botanicals but at the same time will this higher abv also lose flavour once diluted down to 40-45% drinking strength?

This is all something I will find out once up and running but I'd like to get other peoples opinions on what they think?

Cheers.

I'd either run higher ABV in the boiler or run plates, (assuming you've got the power to run through plates and the carter head) the tails will smear and leave a not so fantastic taste in the ass end of your run.

well, thats what happened to us.

Ended up running it in a pot still config with the carterhead for the first run, 2L of clean 90% neutral hearts diluted down to 17L with filtered tap water. 3600W power, ran reflux with the dephlegmator giving a 2-2.5L/hr flow rate. Started at 90% and slowly crept down towards 80% then a sharper drop until 10% when I ended the run.

Airing the jars out now.

My carterhead downward feed tube is too close to the base plate in the sightglass tube and ended up vacuuming the residual liquid contents up the 90 and back down into the boiler once I killed power. Was hoping to recover those oils.... ah well will drain them off before killing power next run and or modifying the end the feed tube.

Here is my first run at Gin using Blond chaps recipe. Made from 8 bubbler plates.

I used the fainter neutral at the end of hearts for a nice neutral. The botanicals went lighter after 2l of a 38 litre spirit run at 30%, abv.

Just completed a run of this gin....http://www.the86co.com/pdf/FordsGin-Fact-Sheet.pdf

The fact sheet gives the botanical quantities so it is easy to copy. I macerated a total of 150 grams of botanicals in 5 liters of 45% neutral (FFV).
Just divided the 150 x the botanical % on the fact sheet.
The Jasmine flavor seems a little light but that could be due to the Jasmine I purchased being a bit old, it was a dried product from the local health food store.

The botanical were macerated overnight, drained into the boiler through a muslin bag, the bag was tied off and left in the neutral during distilling

This is my second attempt at this gin, the first batch greatly improved over time.

It is extremely difficult to clone a gin when you can't source the exact same boranicals but in most cases you end up with a drinkable gin.

Peregian wrote:Just completed a run of this gin....http://www.the86co.com/pdf/FordsGin-Fact-Sheet.pdf

The fact sheet gives the botanical quantities so it is easy to copy. I macerated a total of 150 grams of botanicals in 5 liters of 45% neutral (FFV).
Just divided the 150 x the botanical % on the fact sheet.
The Jasmine flavor seems a little light but that could be due to the Jasmine I purchased being a bit old, it was a dried product from the local health food store.

The botanical were macerated overnight, drained into the boiler through a muslin bag, the bag was tied off and left in the neutral during distilling

This is my second attempt at this gin, the first batch greatly improved over time.

It is extremely difficult to clone a gin when you can't source the exact same boranicals but in most cases you end up with a drinkable gin.

Thanks for sharing Peregian :smile:

I'm curious, did you remove the citrus prior to distillation, or leave it in ?

Cheers :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Left all botanicals in the boiler. Distilled at about 40% using the pot still with power at about 50% (1000 - 1200watts) in a boiler with a concealed element so no worries about product levels and elements going dry. Just makes things easier when distilling small amounts. Total product after distilling...........2.6 liters @ 74% ABV......I dilute to 45% ABV. Product was clear as gin with no louching. Sometimes I get louching if I use too much citrus peel but this is easy to fix by adding extra neutral @ 45% ABV. same ABV as the gin, slowley add till gin clears.

It is easy to change the amount of botanicals.....most advise 25 - 35 grams per liter, I went in the middle at 30 grams.... 5 liters @ 45% ABV @ 30 grams per liter = 150 grams in total.

Peregian wrote:Just completed a run of this gin....http://www.the86co.com/pdf/FordsGin-Fact-Sheet.pdf

The fact sheet gives the botanical quantities so it is easy to copy. I macerated a total of 150 grams of botanicals in 5 liters of 45% neutral (FFV).
Just divided the 150 x the botanical % on the fact sheet.
The Jasmine flavor seems a little light but that could be due to the Jasmine I purchased being a bit old, it was a dried product from the local health food store.

The botanical were macerated overnight, drained into the boiler through a muslin bag, the bag was tied off and left in the neutral during distilling

This is my second attempt at this gin, the first batch greatly improved over time.

It is extremely difficult to clone a gin when you can't source the exact same boranicals but in most cases you end up with a drinkable gin.

I’ve just driven past a HUGE flowering Jasmine plant. I think I will do a raid Friday arvo, macerate with some lemon grass and couple of other staples and see what the outcome is. Smelt insanely good. Hope it carries over. Also went and saw the local florist re rose petals . She’s quite happy to bag up any excess she has on Thursday arvo . Normally she just hands them out to bridal parties at no cost. Winning .. :happy-partydance:

Dyno, not sure if all Jasmine plants are the same, I used dried Jasmine from the local health food shop. I think it is used to make a Jasmine tea by infusing in hot water.

Might pay to do a internet search to check the different types of Jasmine.

Is the maceration done in cases where you don’t have a gun basket or carter head? Or is it that some botanicals work best from the boil and others from the vapour?

Peregian wrote:Dyno, not sure if all Jasmine plants are the same, I used dried Jasmine from the local health food shop. I think it is used to make a Jasmine tea by infusing in hot water.

Might pay to do a internet search to check the different types of Jasmine.

Ok, I’ll do some more homework before I jump in . I might take some into a nursery and see what their opinion is. Rather than rely on my google skills. Thanks Peregian :handgestures-thumbupleft:

ThePaterPiper wrote:Is the maceration done in cases where you don’t have a gun basket or carter head? Or is it that some botanicals work best from the boil and others from the vapour?

I don’t have a carter head so it’s in the boiler by necessity really. Haven’t got around to putting in a gin basket either. From what I’ve read, there are brewers using both methods as well just boiler or just baskets. Not that advanced yet here but I wanted a very forward Juniper and seemed to achieve it by soaking for 12hrs in 94%, removing citrus then adding all to the boiler. What I did find was the citrus I used which was around 4 strips about 4cm long was absolutely petrified when I removed it. It just crumbled to dust. Lost most of its colour too. I will use less next time.Here’s the amounts I used in 1.75L of 94% double distilled then watered down with 3L to around 40%. So a small 4L charge

Juniper 30gms
Coriander seed 15gms
Fennel seed 1tsp
Orris root half tsp
Angelica root half tsp
Cardamom green x 3 pods
Pepper Corn x 8-10 corns
Mortar n pestle all that lot together

1x strip of Orange zest
2x strips grapefruit zest
1x lemon strip

Rosella x 1tsp soaked in 100 ml of 94% to create a pink tincture.

Dicarded first 50ml. Cut into 100ml increments, 14 cut jars in total. Discarded first two kept the next 8 then decided last few were too woody. Maybe too much root powder? Couldn’t be accurate enough in small measurements as you need very small scales. Anyway, pulled off close to 800ml at around 84%.
Will add a little Rosella tonight and hopefully end up with a pink coloured Gin for the Mrs. Keep her off my back for a little while :D

Lessons learnt : half the citrus, stick with just Grapefruit. Make a slightly cleaner neutral. Other than that, as a first brew pretty happy

Rosella? as in tomato sauce?

Cheers,
Prof. Green.

Professor Green wrote:Rosella? as in tomato sauce?

Cheers,
Prof. Green.

Yeah, same as the relish too !! Gives off a beautiful deep red colour and a subtle tea taste. Go to herbcottage.com.au an have a look. It’s dried n ground up.